Theories of Everything with Curt Jaimungal

• Dirac's 90-Year-Old "Mistake" Unifies All of Physics

  As a listener of TOE you can get a special 20% off discount to The Economist and all it has to offer! Visit https://www.economist.com/toe In this episode, I speak with Professor Felix Finster, a radical thinker reimagining the foundations of physics. We explore his theory of causal fermion systems, where reality emerges from quantum correlations—without assuming spacetime or geometry. From the Dirac sea to quantum gravity, this conversation challenges familiar concepts and offers a glimpse into where the next physics revolution might begin. Join My New Substack (Personal Writings): https://curtjaimungal.substack.com Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4gL14b92xAErofYQA7bU4e Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 03:12 The Origins of Causal Fermion Systems 06:55 Engaging with Alternative Theories in Physics 15:22 The Standard View of Causation 18:21 Classical, Quantum, and Pre-Quantum 23:06 How Spacetime Emerges from Disconnected Points 29:49 Recovering Lorentz Signature Without Assumptions 31:48 Recovering the Born Rule from First Principles 39:39 The Measurement Problem 46:20 Bounds on CSL Parameters 49:45 The Dynamics of Spacetime 57:47 Collaboration with Yao and Reflections on the Theory 1:03:13 A Quantum Gravity Theory Without Supersymmetry 1:05:28 The Dirac Sea 1:11:40 Addressing Infinite Energy in Semi-Classical Gravity 1:13:09 Octonions in the Vacuum Structure 1:17:32 Chirality and the Action Principle 1:20:33 Baryogenesis and Why Matter Exists 1:35:10 Rethinking the Strong CP and Hierarchy Problems 1:38:43 Recognition, Collaboration, and Growing Attention 1:54:00 Mathematical Criteria vs. Experimental Tests 2:01:02 Advice for Young Researchers Links Mentioned: - Felix's Papers: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=F7ppNroAAAAJ - Felix's Bio: https://www.uni-regensburg.de/mathematik/mathematik-1/startseite/index.html - Causal Fermion Systems [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2405.19254 - Linear Dynamics of Wave Functions [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2101.08673 - The Principle of the Fermionic Projector [Book]: https://www.amazon.com/Principle-Fermionic-Projector-Advanced-Mathematics/dp/0821839748 - Baryogensis for Causal Fermion Systems [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2111.05556 - Holographic Mixing [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2410.18045 - Standard Model Physics from an Algebra? [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/pdf/1611.09182 - Barry Loewer & Eddy Chen [TOE]: https://youtu.be/xZnafO__IZ0 - Fay Dowker [TOE]: https://youtu.be/PgYHEPCLVas - String Theory Iceberg [TOE]: https://youtu.be/X4PdPnQuwjY - David Kaiser [TOE]: https://youtu.be/_yebLXsIdwo - Ruth Kastner [TOE]: https://youtu.be/-BsHh3_vCMQ - Amanda Gefter [TOE]: https://youtu.be/yABPvDJ6Zgs - Jacob Barandes [TOE]: https://youtu.be/7oWip00iXbo - Eva Miranda [TOE]: https://youtu.be/6XyMepn-AZo - Emily Adlam [TOE]: https://youtu.be/6I2OhmVWLMs - Scott Aaronson & Jacob Barandes [TOE]: https://youtu.be/5rbC3XZr9-c SUPPORT: - Become a YouTube Member (Early Access Videos): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdWIQh9DGG6uhJk8eyIFl1w/join - Support me on Patreon: https://patreon.com/curtjaimungal - Support me on Crypto: https://commerce.coinbase.com/checkout/de803625-87d3-4300-ab6d-85d4258834a9 - Support me on PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=XUBHNMFXUX5S4 SOCIALS: - Twitter: https://twitter.com/TOEwithCurt - Discord Invite: https://discord.com/invite/kBcnfNVwqs Guests do not pay to appear. Theories of Everything receives revenue solely from viewer donations, platform ads, and clearly labelled sponsors; no guest or associated entity has ever given compensation, directly or through intermediaries. #science Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• The (Terrifying) Theory That Your Thoughts Were Never Your Own

  As a listener of TOE you can get a special 20% off discount to The Economist and all it has to offer! Visit https://www.economist.com/toe What if your thoughts aren’t your own? Professors Elan Barenholtz and William Hahn propose that language is not a tool we use but a self-generating organism that uses us. In this mind-bending live discussion at the University of Toronto, they argue that language installs itself in our minds like software, runs autonomously, and shapes behavior at a deeper level than we realize. Drawing on LLMs, autoregression, and cognitive science, they suggest your brain may function like a predictive engine and that “memory,” “self,” and even “God” may just be tokens in an informational system. Join My New Substack (Personal Writings): https://curtjaimungal.substack.com Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4gL14b92xAErofYQA7bU4e Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 05:28 The Nature of Autoregression 10:14 Memory and Cognition Redefined 11:28 The Role of Language Models 14:23 Exploring Consciousness and Software 26:22 The Evolution of Language 38:08 Language: A Cultural Artifact 54:19 The Power and Danger of Language 1:02:52 Embracing Uncertainty in Knowledge 1:04:59 Courage to Believe in Ideas 1:09:30 Support and Engagement with Content Links Mentioned: •⁠ ⁠Elan’s Substack: https://elanbarenholtz.substack.com/ •⁠ ⁠Elan’s Papers: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=2grAjZsAAAAJ&hl=en •⁠ ⁠William’s Blog: https://hahn.ai/blog/index.html •⁠ ⁠Ekkolapto’s Site: https://www.ekkolapto.org/ •⁠ ⁠Andrés Emilsson [TOE]: https://youtu.be/BBP8WZpYp0Y •⁠ ⁠Elan Barenholtz [TOE]: https://youtu.be/A36OumnSrWY •⁠ ⁠Anna Ciaunica & Michael Levin [TOE]: https://youtu.be/2aLhkm6QUgA •⁠ ⁠William Hahn [TOE]: https://youtu.be/3fkg0uTA3qU •⁠ ⁠Michael Levin’s Presentation [TOE]: https://youtu.be/Exdz2HKP7u0 •⁠ ⁠Stephen Wolfram [TOE]: https://youtu.be/0YRlQQw0d-4 •⁠ ⁠Geoffrey Hinton [TOE]: https://youtu.be/b_DUft-BdIE •⁠ ⁠Ai Panel [TOE]: https://youtu.be/abzXzPBW4_s •⁠ ⁠Joscha Bach & Ben Goertzel [TOE]: https://youtu.be/xw7omaQ8SgA •⁠ ⁠Noam Chomsky [TOE]: https://youtu.be/DQuiso493ro •⁠ ⁠Michael Levin Solo [TOE]: https://youtu.be/c8iFtaltX-s •⁠ ⁠Consciousness Iceberg [TOE]: https://youtu.be/65yjqIDghEk •⁠ ⁠Joscha Bach [TOE]: https://youtu.be/3MNBxfrmfmI •⁠ ⁠Scott Aaronson [TOE]: https://youtu.be/gGsh0_-q7LI •⁠ ⁠Iain McGilchrist [TOE]: https://youtu.be/Q9sBKCd2HD0 •⁠ ⁠The Master and His Emissary [Book]: https://www.amazon.com/Master-His-Emissary-Divided-Western/dp/0300188374 •⁠ ⁠Michael Levin & Karl Friston [TOE]: https://youtu.be/0yOV9Pzk2zw •⁠ ⁠Shape Rotators vs Wordcels [Article]: https://sasamilic.medium.com/some-thoughts-on-the-shape-rotator-vs-worcel-meme-f320261a21cd SUPPORT: - Become a YouTube Member (Early Access Videos): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdWIQh9DGG6uhJk8eyIFl1w/join - Support me on Patreon: https://patreon.com/curtjaimungal - Support me on Crypto: https://commerce.coinbase.com/checkout/de803625-87d3-4300-ab6d-85d4258834a9 - Support me on PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=XUBHNMFXUX5S4 SOCIALS: - Twitter: https://twitter.com/TOEwithCurt - Discord Invite: https://discord.com/invite/kBcnfNVwqs Guests do not pay to appear. Theories of Everything receives revenue solely from viewer donations, platform ads, and clearly labelled sponsors; no guest or associated entity has ever given compensation, directly or through intermediaries. #science Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• Why Physicists Say We Don't Understand Quantum Field Theory

  As a listener of TOE you can get a special 20% off discount to The Economist and all it has to offer! Visit https://www.economist.com/toe In this episode, I speak with Professor Nikita Nekrasov, one of the most original minds in theoretical physics. We dive into why quantum field theory still isn’t fully understood, despite its experimental success and why a complete axiomatic foundation might not even be possible. Nikita walks us through his solution to the Cyberg-Witten puzzle, the birth of the Nekrasov partition function, and how exotic structures in four dimensions could underlie the chemistry of life. This conversation blends deep math, quantum weirdness, and personal stories from the front lines of discovery. If you’ve ever wondered what it really means to understand reality, this one’s for you. Join My New Substack (Personal Writings): https://curtjaimungal.substack.com Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4gL14b92xAErofYQA7bU4e Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:13 Understanding Quantum Field Theory 04:38 The Journey to Gauge Origami 06:53 The Story of the Microsoft Partition Function 19:12 Connecting Quantum Mechanics and Field Theory 36:43 The Nature of Instantons 45:05 Exotic R4 and Its Implications 49:01 Dealing with Non-Compactness 52:25 The Emergence of Non-Commutative Geometry 1:04:29 Lessons from Mentors 1:20:11 Language as a Dynamic System 1:22:35 The Concept of Gauge Origami 1:30:48 Insights from Collaboration with Peers 1:37:15 Aspirations for Future Work 1:38:15 Advice for Aspiring Researchers Links Mentioned: •⁠ ⁠Nikita’s Papers: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=bKV59LwAAAAJ&hl=en •⁠ ⁠Nikita’s Lecture: https://scgp.stonybrook.edu/archives/44062 •⁠ ⁠Two Dimensional Gauge Theories [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/pdf/hep-th/9204083 •⁠ ⁠Richard Borcherds [TOE]: https://youtu.be/U3pQWkE2KqM •⁠ ⁠Edward Frenkel [TOE]: https://youtu.be/n_oPMcvHbAc •⁠ ⁠Edward Frenkel’s Presentation [TOE]: https://youtu.be/RX1tZv_Nv4Y •⁠ ⁠Edward Frenkel’s Presentation [Part 2]: https://youtu.be/0AC-Ol1z5vI •⁠ ⁠String Theory Iceberg [TOE]: https://youtu.be/X4PdPnQuwjY •⁠ ⁠Roger Penrose [TOE]: https://youtu.be/sGm505TFMbU •⁠ ⁠Cumrun Vafa [TOE]: https://youtu.be/kUHOoMX4Bqw •⁠ ⁠Garrett Lisi [TOE]: https://youtu.be/z7ulJmfFvd8 •⁠ ⁠Chiara Marletto [TOE]: https://youtu.be/Uey_mUy1vN0 •⁠ ⁠Debunking “All Possible Paths” [TOE]: https://youtu.be/XcY3ZtgYis0 •⁠ ⁠Peter Woit [TOE]: https://youtu.be/TTSeqsCgxj8 •⁠ ⁠Leonard Susskind [TOE]: https://youtu.be/2p_Hlm6aCok •⁠ ⁠Seiberg-Witten Prepotential from Instanton Counting [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/pdf/hep-th/0206161 •⁠ ⁠Eva Miranda [TOE]: https://youtu.be/6XyMepn-AZo •⁠ ⁠Leptons and Quarks [Book]: https://www.amazon.com/LEPTONS-QUARKS-SPECIAL-COMMEMORATING-DISCOVERY/dp/9814603007 •⁠ ⁠Brian Greene [TOE]: https://youtu.be/O2EtTE9Czzo •⁠ ⁠David Wallace [TOE]: https://youtu.be/4MjNuJK5RzM •⁠ ⁠Jenann Ismael [TOE]: https://youtu.be/7kvXihDAOi0 •⁠ ⁠Claudia de Rham [TOE]: https://youtu.be/hNPMKy6RxCE •⁠ ⁠Yang-Mills [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2504.19097 SUPPORT: - Become a YouTube Member (Early Access Videos): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdWIQh9DGG6uhJk8eyIFl1w/join - Support me on Patreon: https://patreon.com/curtjaimungal - Support me on Crypto: https://commerce.coinbase.com/checkout/de803625-87d3-4300-ab6d-85d4258834a9 - Support me on PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=XUBHNMFXUX5S4 SOCIALS: - Twitter: https://twitter.com/TOEwithCurt - Discord Invite: https://discord.com/invite/kBcnfNVwqs #science Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• Brand New Result Proving Penrose & Tao's Uncomputability in Physics!

  As a listener of TOE you can get a special 20% off discount to The Economist and all it has to offer! Visit https://www.economist.com/toe Mathematician Eva Miranda returns with a groundbreaking new result: a real physical system (fluid motion) has been proven to be Turing-complete. This means some fluid paths are logically undecidable. In this mind-bending episode, she walks us through the implications for chaos theory, the Navier-Stokes equations, and uncomputability in nature, confirming long-held suspicions of thinkers like Roger Penrose and Terence Tao. Featuring rubber ducks, Alan Turing, and the limits of knowledge itself. Join My New Substack (Personal Writings): https://curtjaimungal.substack.com Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4gL14b92xAErofYQA7bU4e Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:10 Expect the Unexpected 02:52 Stories of Uncertainty 04:45 The Impact of Alan Turing 06:35 The Halting Problem Explained 09:29 Limits of Mathematical Knowledge 12:40 From Certainty to Uncertainty 16:19 The Rubber Duck Phenomenon 19:29 Unpredictability vs. Undecidability 20:18 Classical Chaos and the Butterfly Effect 27:12 Asteroids and Chaos Theory 34:32 The Navier-Stokes Riddle 41:18 The Cantor Set and Computation 46:18 Bridging Discrete and Continuous 49:21 Turing Completeness in Fluid Dynamics 1:02:39 The Quest for Navier-Stokes Solutions 1:06:53 The Role of Viscosity 1:12:09 Hybrid Computers and Fluid Dynamics 1:26:57 Unpredictability in Deterministic Systems 1:31:44 The Future of Computational Models Links Mentioned: •⁠ ⁠Eva’s First Appearance [TOE]: https://youtu.be/6XyMepn-AZo •⁠ ⁠Moby Duck [Book]: https://amzn.to/4ldoYsZ •⁠ ⁠Roger Penrose [TOE]: https://youtu.be/sGm505TFMbU •⁠ ⁠The Emperor’s New Mind [Book]: https://amzn.to/44jHpGK •⁠ ⁠Edward Frenkel [TOE]: https://youtu.be/RX1tZv_Nv4Y •⁠ ⁠Richard Borcherds [TOE]: https://youtu.be/U3pQWkE2KqM •⁠ ⁠Clay Mathematics Institute: https://www.claymath.org/ •⁠ ⁠Eva’s Papers: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=werIoRQAAAAJ&hl=en •⁠ ⁠Topological Kleene Field Theories [Paper]: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2503.16100 •⁠ ⁠Ted Jacobson [TOE]: https://youtu.be/3mhctWlXyV8 •⁠ ⁠Stephen Wolfram [TOE]: https://youtu.be/0YRlQQw0d-4 SUPPORT: - Become a YouTube Member (Early Access Videos): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdWIQh9DGG6uhJk8eyIFl1w/join - Support me on Patreon: https://patreon.com/curtjaimungal - Support me on Crypto: https://commerce.coinbase.com/checkout/de803625-87d3-4300-ab6d-85d4258834a9 - Support me on PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=XUBHNMFXUX5S4 SOCIALS: - Twitter: https://twitter.com/TOEwithCurt - Discord Invite: https://discord.com/invite/kBcnfNVwqs #science Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• The Mathematical Accident That Changes Everything

  Special offer! Get 20% off discount to The Economist and all it has to offer! Visit https://www.economist.com/toe Harvard physicist Jacob Barandes returns with a groundbreaking insight that could reshape quantum theory. By questioning a single hidden assumption, Jacob bridges the gap between classical probability and quantum mechanics. This ‘mathematical accident’ challenges the foundations of Bell’s Theorem, dissolves the measurement problem, and opens a path to a realist interpretation of quantum physics. This episode is a rigorous journey through stochastic processes, non-locality, and the future of theoretical physics. Join My New Substack (Personal Writings): https://curtjaimungal.substack.com Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4gL14b92xAErofYQA7bU4e Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction01:02 Non-locality & Local Realism13:58 Quantum Theory20:45 Copenhagen Interpretation28:11 Many Worlds Interpretation34:54 Creating Indivisible Stochastic Process50:59 Indivisible Stochastic Process 1:01:46 Teaching Black Holes to Graduate Students 1:04:59 Coordinate Systems in Space-Time 1:06:58 Teaching Black Hole Coordinates 1:10:11 Insights from Nima 1:13:41 Nima's Course on Quantum Mechanics 1:16:22 Quantum Foundations and Cosmology 1:18:48 Transitioning to Quantum Gravity 1:23:10 Philosophy's Role in Physics 1:26:10 Leaving String Theory 1:33:39 Interpretations of Quantum Mechanics 1:37:02 Challenges of String Theory 1:42:49 Quantum Field Theory Insights 1:50:30 Foundations of Quantum Field Theory 1:53:47 Particle Existence Between Measurements 1:59:44 Speculations on Quantum Gravity 2:01:41 Legacy and Contributions Links Mentioned: •⁠ ⁠Press release of the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physics: https://www.nobelprize.org/uploads/2022/10/press-physicsprize2022-2.pdf •⁠ ⁠Eddy Chen & Barry Loewer on TOE: https://youtu.be/xZnafO__IZ0 •⁠ ⁠Jacob Barandes on TOE (part 1): https://youtu.be/7oWip00iXbo •⁠ ⁠Tim Maudlin on TOE: https://youtu.be/fU1bs5o3nss •⁠ ⁠What Is Real? (book): https://www.amazon.com/What-Real-Unfinished-Meaning-Quantum/dp/0465096050 •⁠ ⁠David Wallace on TOE: https://youtu.be/4MjNuJK5RzM •⁠ ⁠The Copenhagen Interpretation: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/qm-copenhagen/ •⁠ ⁠Bohmian Mechanics: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/qm-bohm/ •⁠ ⁠Everettian Quantum Mechanics: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/qm-everett/ •⁠ ⁠Jacob Barandes on TOE (part 2): https://youtu.be/YaS1usLeXQM •⁠ ⁠Jacob Barandes on TOE (part 3): https://youtu.be/wrUvtqr4wOs •⁠ ⁠The sky is blue (paper): https://arxiv.org/pdf/2205.00568 •⁠ ⁠The Emergent Universe (book): https://www.amazon.com/Emergent-Multiverse-Quantum-according-Interpretation/dp/0198707541 •⁠ ⁠Complex Coordinates and Quantum Mechanics (paper): https://journals.aps.org/rmp/abstract/10.1103/RevModPhys.38.36 •⁠ ⁠Kurt Vonnegut’s lecture: https://youtu.be/4_RUgnC1lm8 •⁠ ⁠Max Born’s memoir: https://archive.org/details/myliferecollecti0000born/page/n5/mode/2up •⁠ ⁠Hugh Everett’s unpublished dissertation: https://ia801909.us.archive.org/20/items/TheTheoryOfTheUniversalWaveFunction/The%20Theory%20of%20the%20Universal%20Wave%20Function.pdf •⁠ ⁠La nouvelle cuisine (paper): https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/speakable-and-unspeakable-in-quantum-mechanics/la-nouvelle-cuisine/6FFC85D84585D9C41AA4A1185BF5290E ***For full resources please visit https://curtjaimungal.org SUPPORT: - Become a YouTube Member (Early Access Videos): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdWIQh9DGG6uhJk8eyIFl1w/join - Support me on Patreon: https://patreon.com/curtjaimungal - Support me on Crypto: https://commerce.coinbase.com/checkout/de803625-87d3-4300-ab6d-85d4258834a9 - Support me on PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=XUBHNMFXUX5S4 SOCIALS: - Twitter: https://twitter.com/TOEwithCurt - Discord Invite: https://discord.com/invite/kBcnfNVwqs #science Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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